Slots-At-Racetracks: OLG's Strongest Performer This Decade

Published: June 11, 2012 01:45 pm EDT

In an effort to pass the 2012 Ontario Budget (Bill 55) the Liberal minority government struck a deal with the opposition parties to push the budget past second reading. The opposition parties negotiated hearings whereas each line of the budget would be reviewed line by line by the Standing Committee of Finance and Economic Affairs.

The Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association (OHRIA) was granted deputation in front of the committee and presented the attached submission (available here) to the committee on Wednesday, June 6, 2012.

The charts contained on pages 6, 7 and 8 peaked the interest of the committee. The charts indicate that the Slots at Racetracks Program is the strongest performing product line of the OLG while the resort casinos have been in a loss position of more than $100 million annually for the past five years. OHRIA pointed out to the committee that the Liberal’s 2012 budget cancels the OLG’s most profitable program (The Slots at Racetracks Program) in favour of bolstering privately operated casinos which have been bleeding profit for half a decade.

OHRIA’s request to the committee, as outlined on page 11 of the submission, is “that the Standing Committee recommend the proposed ending of the Slots at Racetracks Program on March 31, 2013 should not go forward until such time as a detailed analysis of the economic impact of ending the Program has been completed by a joint government-industry panel.”

(OHRIA)

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